Fall 2022 Featured Artists
Justin Copeland
“One reason that profoundly resonates with my spirit though, is his resilience. Justin has taught me more than most about what it means to be an overcomer and the importance of both believing in and standing in one’s power.”
Our highly anticipated Inaugural Featured Artist Campaign kicks off today with someone very close to the heart of our founder.
Long time companion and fellow artist, Justin Copeland, has been a huge supporter of the Collective Stardust since the very beginning. With such a formative and inspiring relationship, there’s truly endless reasons to talk about why I am thankful for a friend like Justin. One reason that profoundly resonates with my spirit though, is his resilience. Justin has taught me more than most about what it means to be an overcomer and the importance of both believing in and standing in one’s power. Over the years I’ve known Justin, he has displayed an incomparable capability to transmute one’s pain into something profoundly beautiful.
His personal story of conquering life’s trials challenges me and inspires me to continually look for the light in the shadow. To always trust the stars are shining brightly, even if hidden just beyond the darkest clouds. To rise with grace from the things that we think might knock us flat. To keep standing back up. Time and time again. To seek out beauty in the moments that seem most defeating. To encourage hope to roar loudly deep within our spirits yet again when fear and doubt and pain echo so loudly it feels deafening.
I am honored to have the opportunity to share with you all his work, his heart, his call to action. To rise again humbly and know that you are meant for so much more than your biggest failure, obstacle, or heartbreak. I hope the rawness and authenticity within his words ring true, and help you feel less alone in your pain or struggle. May they ease your spirit. May they surround you in comfort and compassion. May they help you discover community, and believe you are worthy of it. Right here, right now, in this very moment.
Shayla Pitts
“Her words remind us why we should prioritize connections with those that love, honor, and respect us. They are an empowering declaration to stand in one’s power, to believe in one’s worth, to protect oneself and one’s light.”
When I reconnected with Shayla I remember thinking to myself how beautiful and mystifying that the universe crossed our paths again in the timing that it did. Not only was I beginning to pursue the launch of Collective Stardust, but in my personal journey the topic of friendship was extremely prevalent.
I had spent the past few years really diving into what friendship meant to me and what kind of people I wanted in my inner circles. I was learning about how to be a better friend and how to choose better friends. I was discovering the importance of support, of compassion, of trust and loyalty, and of the energetic influence of our friendships.
I was also deep into the journey of being my own best friend first and foremost— of believing in myself. Of showing up for me. Of honoring my boundaries. Of following through on my goals. And through being a better friend to myself, I was learning how to be a better, more consistent friend to others.
Shayla’s piece is important to me because it really does speak on a topic that is often overlooked and under discussed, yet still one of great importance. Her words remind us why we should prioritize connections with those that love, honor, and respect us. They are an empowering declaration to stand in one’s power, to believe in one’s worth, to protect oneself and one’s light. Because that light shines brightly. It surrounds one like a halo. An energetic ring of protection.
Shayla reminds herself, you, me, and strangers alike that having access to you, your energy, your presence— it’s a privilege. And you deserve to share it with people that cherish you. That recognize your worth. That challenge you. That inspire you. That understand you. That speak highly of you. That truly, authentically see and accept you. That believe in you. In your dreams. In your passions. In your laughter. In your joy. In your light.
Cheers to our newest featured artist. To reconnection. To being better friends to ourselves and to those around us. To honoring the light in ourselves and the light in others. To shining brightly. And to building relationships with people that shine brightly beside us.
M.C. Hewlett
“In this Collective Stardust feature, we showcase one of Hewlett’s most recent pieces titled LEXAPRO which is a beautiful painting that reflects that of their mental health journey and also inspires conversation surrounding the importance of destigmatizing therapy, medication, and talking openly about one’s mental health.”
During my adolescence, M.C. poured into me by encouraging my heart for creativity, connection, and compassion, and taught me that pouring into our communities can shape us in unimaginable ways. The truth is, the story of my relationship with M.C. is one that mirrors that of many others— the meeting of two souls whose paths were destined to cross. to teach one another. about acceptance. about pouring into the people around us. about loving our communities and rallying for them. about embracing people for exactly who they are, where they are, and about the radical impact of how being honest and open about one’s struggles both bridges gaps and builds genuine connections.
In this Collective Stardust feature, we showcase one of Hewlett’s most recent pieces titled LEXAPRO which is a beautiful painting that reflects that of their mental health journey and also inspires conversation surrounding the importance of destigmatizing therapy, medication, and talking openly about one’s mental health.
For a different post on one of my personal platforms, I wrote my thoughts about two recent documentaries that released about mental health. I find the words to still be relevant and ring true here as well. So I will leave you all with this:
“I believe the heart behind these works is a call to awareness and acceptance, to openness, to have difficult and honest and raw discussions about your mental health, with yourself, with loved ones, with a professional, to gain a deeper understanding of one's self, to make mental wellness tools more accessible, to call health practitioners back to the heart and roots of healing, to remind others that life is difficult, sometimes overwhelmingly so, but they are not alone in their struggles, in their hurt, in their mess, in their day to day difficulties, and to inspire us to remember that we are resilient, often more so than we believe ourselves to be.”
Brandon Robinson
"Though the format and style may seem a little different, our newest feature is a familiar face here at The Collective Stardust, and we are so excited to be sharing both the words and creative content of Brandon Robinson for a piece titled “Unchosen”.
For this feature, I wanted to showcase Brandon’s piece exactly as he envisioned it. There is no meet the artist slide or a description of what inspired the work, just the raw, honest, and moving words of a man who boldly shares about his experience of stepping into the unknown and embracing the path of those unchosen.
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost
Hello!
My name is Unchosen.
I am Unchosen.
I was sent to Earth, and
Packaged with gifts and talents
To help heal the world.
But not to fully experience
the fullness
Of the human experience.
I am here to heal. To heal myself.
And in the healing of myself, to
Inadvertently heal others.
I am not meant to walk an easy experience.
I was sent to walk a strong, unchosen experience.
“Ok—well I’m healed now!...” I express...
“…Did all of the hard work now...” I beg.
And yet:
I am still Unchosen.
My soul must have agreed to this level of work before coming here.
The less traveled path, that is--
I chose.
Before coming to Earth.
So.
It must be well with my soul.
And yet, still.
Here I am.
Here I am…
Here.
Right here.
Can you see me??...
“Hey there. Can you see healed, unchosen me?...” I beseech.
“I am strong, talented, and beautiful!” I cry out.
In all my imperfections and attempts at perfection.
“Hey--It’s me, Unchosen!”
I shout to anyone who’ll listen.
No one ever does.
And
No one ever will.
So then, I realize:
My unchosen-ness is serving a greater purpose.
And I am so glad that my soul regarded itself as strong enough,
To enter human form
To come to Earth
And carry out such an adventure.
I am so happy to have the opportunity to walk through this Unchosen experience.
For it is teaching me every day.
Every.
Single.
Day.
To fiercely,
Maniacally,
Decidedly,
Unapologetically,
Distinctly,
And Singularly
Choose.
My.
Self.
Naomi Harris
“Naomi Harris is a fellow creative, young business owner and entrepreneur, and the walking embodiment of sunshine, boldly blazing with joy and positivity. Here she opens up about heartbreak, craving lost love, and betrayal. Familiar hurts that all experience throughout life and can relate to intimately.”
What can we learn from our disappointment?
From uncertainty?
From the loss of love?
When we lean into our heartache,
when we lean into our hurt,
when we sit with our shadow and say “I want to hold you close and listen to your story with compassion”,
we can gain an invitation to know ourselves deeper.
we can gain gifts such as peace, perspective and acceptance.
and we can gain opportunities to heal, to grow, to create, to come out the other side more aligned, more free.
Our newest featured artist here at Collective Stardust, Naomi Harris, is a fellow creative, young business owner and entrepreneur, and the walking embodiment of sunshine, boldly blazing with joy and positivity.
Here she opens up about heartbreak, craving lost love, and betrayal.
Familiar hurts that all experience throughout life and can relate to intimately.
These three pieces are sure to bring about the memories of old lovers, past pains, and forgotten faces.
Whatever her words stir for you, we challenge you to sit with it.
To embrace it lovingly.
To remember the stories buried within you.
To offer compassion to your past self.
To celebrate how far you’ve come.
To recognize your growth.
And to accept whatever is to come with the confidence that it will be filled with love, in abundance.
